Medical-grade honey has superior antibacterial properties against common bacterial isolates in wound cultures of dogs and cats in comparison to non-medical-grade honey types.

Abstract

Objective: To compare the antibacterial activities of different types of honey against common bacterial isolates cultured from wounds of dogs and cats.

Methods: 4 types of honey were used including a medical-grade manuka honey, a non-medical-grade manuka honey, a locally sourced non-medical-grade honey (non-MGH), and a commercially sourced non-MGH. Bacterial isolates were obtained from clinical wound cultures of dogs and cats including Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The macro-broth dilution method was used to analyze the MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration. The percentage of growth inhibition was assessed for different types of honey at different concentrations using a generalized linear regression model.

Results: Medical-grade honey exhibited the lowest minimum bactericidal concentration against S pseudintermedius, E faecalis, and P aeruginosa, alongside the lowest MIC at 90% with statistically significant higher bacterial growth inhibition in medium and low concentrations. Non-medical-grade manuka honey had a similar bactericidal activity against S pseudintermedius and P aeruginosa compared to locally and commercially sourced non-MGH.

Conclusions: In this in vitro study, MGH exhibited superior antibacterial activity against all bacterial isolates compared to other types of honey.

Clinical relevance: Medical-grade honey displayed the greatest antibacterial activity against common wound pathogens and could be considered over other types of honey for wound management in cats and dogs. Locally and commercially sourced non-MGH appears to have a comparative efficacy against certain bacteria compared to non-medical-grade manuka honey and is more cost effective. Further in vivo studies are needed to confirm these findings.